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Finance: Challenges to industrial growth

During the last quarter of this fiscal year, beginning April 1, Pakistan’s industrial sector may see a stronger policy push for growth as the current regime is working on an industrial revival plan. Two things are to be considered: first, the potential revival plan’s implementation will remain subject to the continuation of the tenous political stability, the extent of success in the anti-terro

Financing climate resilience in Gilgit-Baltistan

Gilgit-Baltistan is strategically located at the confluence of three of the world’s most formidable mountain ranges: the Himalayas, the Karakoram, and the Hindu Kush. This region is home to over 7,000 glaciers, earning it the title of the “Third Pole”. These glaciers, with almost 75 per cent of the total water supply in the country, serve as a vital hydrological resource for Pakistan. Beyond th

Growing expenditures eating up National Highway Authority’s gross profits

The National Highway Authority (NHA) on Sunday said its gross profit was declining continuously over the past three years as the pace of its expenditure growth was outpacing annual incomes. In a statement, the NHA said its gross profit in FY2022 amounted to Rs45.77bn but plunged by more than half (52pc) a year later in FY2023 to Rs21.84bn. The gross profit further went down by about 34pc to jus

IMF shoots down plan to cut power tariffs, for now

A substantial reduction in electricity tariffs, promised by the government, could not get past the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is currently holding back a staff-level agreement (SLA) on the first biannual review of the $7bn Extended Fund Facility (EFF). It was widely reported in the media through official leaks that the prime minister would announce a Rs8 per unit reduction in elec

Index hits record high on economic optimism

The stock market continued its record-setting streak for the second consecutive session on Thursday, pushing the benchmark KSE 100 index above 118,000. Topline Securities Ltd said the stock market continued its bullish momentum, reaching record-high levels with a record-high trading value in nearly two months. The benchmark index surged to an intraday high of 1,447 at 119,421.81 points before s